Part Two of RADIO FREE CHARLESTON HORROR THEATER is online now! This episode features more of our tribute to old-time-TV horror movie hosts.  We’ve got music videos from Under The Radar and Go Van Gogh, a short ghost film by Rich Allen, scary-freaky animation from Wladislaw Starewicz, plus a studio full of Zombies. Make sure you watch Part One, first!

You won’t want to miss the Zombie chorus line, or the all-star Zombie jam session at the end of the show! In addition to yours truly, this episode of RFC features Chelsea Cook, Liz McCormick, plus RFC Big Shots Brian Young and Melanie Larch. Full details follow, after the jump!

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Way back in an early PopCult post I made a reference to the song “The Equestrian Statue” by The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (later shortened to “The Bonzo Dog Band,” and henceforth called by me, “The Bonzos”).  That post elicited a “Who the hell?” response from my esteemed editor and required further explanation via links and such.  Now, thanks to the miracle of YouTube, here’s a look at The Bonzos performing “The Equestrian Statue” from the 1960s British TV show “Do Not Adjust Your Set,” which also featured Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Eric Idle, who would go on to fame as members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Killer song, eh? I’ll bet you go around the rest of the day singing “Feel so gay” under your breath.  The Bonzos main claim to fame was writing and performing the song used as the theme to “The Muppet Show,” but they also appeared in The Beatles’ famed bus-wreck of a movie, “Magical Mysery Tour.” In that film they performed the song “Death Cab For Cutie,” from the alt-rockers of the same name found their inspiration.  The late, lamented “Trouser Press” magazine also took their name from a Bonzo song.

After the jump we’ll look at some more coolness from the Bonzos, including a report on the 2006 reunion of the surviving members of the band. Apparently the dead ones were being stubborn. This link will take you to their website, where you can learn about their first new album in 35 years.

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Part one of RADIO FREE CHARLESTON HORROR THEATER is online now! Featuring music from Doctor Senator and The Hellblinki Sextet, plus a short film about Jack The Ripper, vintage animation from Wladislaw Starewicz, excerpts from a film by Spike Nesmith, and loads and loads of extra-creepy-coolness.

This is the first half of our two-part valentine to the cheesy horror movie hosts of my childhood. We shot in front of the green screen at LiveMix Studio, and I was very lucky to assemble a cast of talented actors to help me pull this off.

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I won’t be able to attend due to a family commitment, but that’s no reason for you to miss a very cool evening of free entertainment at The Book Exchange (1588 Washington St. E, not too far from The Capitol). From 5 PM to 8 PM tonight, Brian Hatcher, co-author of “Legends of the Mountain State, Vol. I and II: Ghostly Tales from the State of West Virginia,” will be reading his work, and there will be music from Radio Free Charleston faves, Captain Crash and The Beauty Queen From Mars. 

Costumes are encouraged, but not required.  This is the grand-reopening week for The Book Exchange, which promises tons of cool events in the coming weeks.  In fact, starting next week, The Book Exchange will be selling the DVD of “Weird Wonderful: The Braxton County Monster,” which debuts Saturday night at the RFC Halloween Party.

Time for an announcment: The current plan is for us to debut episode 55 of Radio Free Charleston, part two of “Radio Free Charleston Horror Theater,” this Saturday at the La Belle Theater, right after the world premiere of “Weird Wonderful: The Braxton County Monster.”

This show features Under The Radar and Go Van Gogh in special holiday-themed music videos, plus there’s a short film by Rich Allen and part two of the zombie invasion during our host segments.

But you say you haven’t seen part one of our Halloween special yet? It’s the one with Doctor Senator, The Hellblinki Sextet and other way-cool stuff. Well, it should be posted here at The Gazz.com this week, after the Create WV conference is over, but if you can’t wait, there’s a rumor that a copy of this episode has been leaked, so you can see it early, if you want.

But you didn’t hear that from me. Check the other side of the jump for another preview picture of RFC 55 before the chroma key is done. (more…)

We’re kicking off this week with a test shot from the first of this year’s two Radio Free Charleston Halloween shows.  With any luck, you’ll get to see it later today!  This is a photo of me (as Count Rudolph) scolding “Celeste, The Zombie Supermodel” (played by RFC’s official Barista, Chelsea Cook) for wasting the brains she just ate.

You can click the image to enlarge it, but I’m too busy to update the Monday Morning Art Store. Between the two RFC Halloween episodes, and the big RFC Halloween Party/Jam Session at the La Belle this coming Saturday, I don’t have a lot of spare time. After the jump, you can see another preview of RFC 54, and the flyer for this weekend’s show!

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Last week I brought you a ton of cool videos about Captain Action, one of my favorite toys from the 1960s.  In the 1970s, Stan Weston, the licensing wizard who brought all the DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and King Features Syndicate characters to Captain Action struck again.  He took those licenses to MEGO, a small toy company that was struggling with their 8-inch-tall GI Joe knockoff, Action Jackson. The result was “The World’s Greatest SuperHeroes” line, which propelled MEGO to massive success, which dried up a few years later when they passed on the license for Star Wars.

Here’s a great promo film for 1976. Notice how they don’t seem to know the real superpowers of The Fantastic Four, plus the way they refer to The Falcon is…uh…unfortunate.

Coincedentally, Captain Action is now being made in the classic MEGO size.  I just got mine in this week, and I’ll be posting a review in a few days.  After the jump, we’ll look at a few more classic MEGO Toys.

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Back for the first time in a month, it’s your weekly dose of self-indulgence, Monday Morning Art. It might take a few extra days to get this picture up in the Monday Morning Art Store, but we’re kicking off Columbus Day with a digitally-assaulted photograph of my muse, Melanie Larch in profile.  The photo was taken at the dress rehearsal of “Jack The Ripper,” (kick yourself if you missed it) and is an exercise in color composition and dime-store surrealism. Hope you like it.

All right, I’ll admit it. I’m in the tank for Captain Action. I know it’s media bias, but I’m going to take any chance I can to write about one of my favorite childhood toys, especially now that he’s coming back. I’ll put in links to Captain Action Enterprises, and Moonstone Comics.  And you know I’ll send you over to Cast Away Toys,  where they’re bringing the good Captain back as  MEGO-style action figure.  I’ll even write about the new poster from comics legend Murphy Anderson. So, since there are some videos floating around, let’s look at Captain Action, starting with the very first commercial from the 1960s:

Cool, huh? Well, after the jump, you can see what Captain Action is up to these days, in the midst of his big revival!

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